When
people ask lately how I’m doing, I have a new answer. Not “hanging in there,”
which were my winter watchwords. Instead, I’m “hitting my marks.”
In
this pre-vacation week, there have been a lot of marks to hit. Going to the
bank. Stopping the mail. Mowing the lawn. Wrapping up advance work at the
office.
Then
there’s the mark I want to hit at the bridge table. Missing one-third of May means
I need to step up my game enough to hit my 15-point-per-month goal. Failing
that, I’d settle for 66 percent of 15.
At
the start of pre-vacation week, however, the count for May stood just short of
6 points.
And
instead of hitting marks, I was missing them. Sometimes it was a near miss,
like that 48.51% on Monday with Judie Bailey and the 48.61% on Wednesday with
June Feuerstein. Sometimes it missed by a mile, like Thursday’s 43.29% with Marietta
Kalman.
For
the marks I actually did hit, I have to thank Michael Kozower. He was the last-minute
replacement Tuesday after my pre-arranged partner, Usha Khurana, called in
sick. We managed 51.89%, third in the B strat in our direction, 0.57 of a point.
Then,
since my Canadian partner, Selina Volpatti, was away in Florida , I made another date with him for
Friday. This time was better yet – 55.09%, second east-west, first in B overall,
1.84 points. Closing in on double digits now. I have two more chances to hit
that mark.
The
biggest mark I hit in Friday’s game involved John and Martha Welte, a
formidable pair.
John
doubles me at 3 Diamonds vulnerable. Hand record says it’s supposed to make 3
Diamonds, but it still looks scary when Michael lays down the dummy. It looks
even scarier when I discover how the trump suit breaks.
Board
26.
Dealer
is east, me. Everybody’s vulnerable. John leads the six of Hearts.
East
(me)
Spades:
A-8-7; Hearts: 9-5-4; Diamonds: Q-10-9-5-2; Clubs: Q-J.
South
(John Welte)
Spades:
K-10-9-6; Hearts: 6; Diamonds: K-J-7-4-3; Clubs: 5-3-2.
West
(Michael Kozower)
Spades:
5-3-2; Hearts: A-J-10; Diamonds: A-8-6; Clubs: A-K-9-8.
North
(Martha Welte)
Spades:
Q-J-4; Hearts: K-Q-8-7-3-2; Diamonds: none; Clubs: 10-7-6-5.
Michael
opens the bidding with a Club. Martha passed. I bid a Diamond. Michael bid a
Spade. Martha bid 2 Hearts. I pass, but Michael goes 3 Diamonds, whereupon John
doubles. I would, too.
The
hand also is good for 3 No Trump, which a few east-wests bid and make. But that’s
only a 600 score. Three Diamonds doubled vulnerable is 670. Top board!
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